Process for the extirpation of vermin on board ship.



No. 799,011. PATENTED SEPT. 5, 1905. W. LEYBOLD.

PROCESS FOR THE EXTIRPATION 0F VERMIN ON BOARD SHIP.

APPLICATION FILED MAYZO, 1905.

2 SHEETS-$111315! 1.

N0- 799,0l1. PATENTBD SEPT. 5, 1905.

I W. LEYBOLD.

PROCESS FOR THE EXTIRPATION 0P VBRMIN ON BOARD SHIP- APPLICATION FILED MAY 20, 1905.

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UNITED STATES 'ILHELM LEYBOLD, OF HAMBURG, GERMANY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 5, 1905,

Application filed May Z( ),1905. Serial No. 261.374.

10 (altar/torn, it may concern:

Be it known that 1', (VILHELM LEYBOLD, a citizen of the German Empire, residing at 54 Jordanstrasse, Hamburg, Germany, have invented a new and useful Process for the Extirpation of Vermin on Board Ship, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact descrip: tion.

The present invention consists of a process for the extirpation of vermin, and more particularl y rats and mice, on board ship, as hereinafter particularly set forth, and pointed out in the claim.

In all seaports there is always considerable danger of pestilential diseases being brought over from infected countries by the vermin, particularly rats, on board the ships entering the port, and many attempts have been made to disinfect ships arriving from infected ports by exterminating the rats, &c., on board. This has been attempted in a variety of ways, such as mixing or impregnating the atmospheric air in the interior of the ship with indifferent gases, such as sulfurous or carbonicacid gas, and thus suffocating vermin by withdrawing the oxygen. These gases have usually been brought on board in a compressed state in suitable iron holders or flasks. Great difiiculty was, however, experienced in getting a sufficient quantity of the gas on board, owing to the extensive size of the space to be disinfected.

According to the present invention it is proposed to employ producer-gas which is generated in a producer connected up to the ship to be disinfected by means of suitable pipe connections.

The composition of the producer-gas utilized for the object in view is such that the vermin is not only suffocated, but actually poisoned, which object is attained by means of a gas containing a high percentage of carbonic acid and a comparatively small percentage (about two to eight per cent.) of carbonic oxid.

The specific weight of a gas of such composition as compared with atmospheric air is slightly more than one, so that the gas will sink in the interior of the hold and other rooms and cabins and will penetrate between the sacks and other packages forming the cargo. At the same time the gas is sufficiently light to enable it to be distributed to all parts of the interior of the vessel. A gas of the abovedescribed composition is neither combustible nor explosive-two conditions which must be fulfilled. owing to the danger of ignition by the boiler-fires. On the other hand,the amount of carbonic oxid in the gas is sufficient to insure the extinction of any vermin on board without, however, employing more of the oxid than is necessary for the purpose, so that after the gas has been pumped or blown out of the ship any oxid which may remain in the vessel by diffusion with the air entering will be in such small quantities that the vessel may be boarded again without any danger immediately the producer-gas has been removed.

The producer-gas is made by blowing air through glowing carbon, the pressure being in such proportion to the depth of fuel and temperature in the generator as to produce not less than two per cent. and not more than eight per cent. of carbonic oxid in addition to the carbonic acid.

The gas coming from the generator will be very hot and must consequently be reduced to a normal temperature before it is introduced into the vessel. The heat thus regained may be employed for replacing the steam for the engine for driving the ventilator and the pump for raising the cooling-water for the scrubber.

In order to render the presentspecification easily intelligible, reference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of reference denote similar parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a vertical section through a generator and scrubber in which the boiler is combined with the generator. Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the lower part of the generator, showing the air-inlet to the same; and Fig. 3 is a sectional side elevation of the general arrangement of the apparatus on a barge or the like.

As illustrated in Fig. 1, the generator A may be arranged in a water-holder, constituting the boiler, from which the hot gases will be taken into the scrubber 1 The grate u of the generator is advantageously rotatable, and the latter is charged with fuel through the door 7). A door a is provided for the removal of ashes from the ash-pit, and apipe (Z is provided underneath the generator, Fig. 2, for the introduction of air to the same. Pipes 0 are provided at the top of the generator, through which the hot gases pass from the generator and impart their heat to the water in this part of the holder to produce the necessary steam. The gases thus cooled pass through the pipe f to the scrubber g] and out of the latter through a pipe h, whence they may pass to a purifier (not shown) or direct through suitable pipe connections to the interior of the ship.

In starting the apparatus the grate is first charged with fuel in the usual manner, the

upper opening 2' is opened, and the boiler" heated until the steam in the same has attained the required pressure. or producer gas generation is then commenced in the ordinary manner.

It will be obvious that an ordinary generator might be employed and the gases cooled in the scrubber and that other steam-power might be used to drive the ventilator-pump and other apparatuses,it' necessary. The whole plant may either be set up on shore or, as illustrated in Fig. 3, on a barge and is then The generates connected up by suitable means with the interior of the vessel. After the gas has been allowed to remain in the vessel for some hours the same is either drawn out by suction or forced out in any suitable manner.

I claim as my invention The herein-described non-combustible and non-explosive gas' for exterminating vermin consisting of a mixture of from ninety-two to ninety-eight per cent. of carbonic-acid gas and from two to eight per cent. of carbonic oXid, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

, VVILHELM LEYBOLD: Witnesses:

' ERNEST H. L. MUMMENHOFF,

OTTO WV. HELLMRIOH. 

